Preston Clark, El Paseo, Mill Valley, seen on Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 in the Crown Room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., is one of The Chronicle's 2012 Rising Star Chefs.

Preston Clark, El Paseo, Mill Valley, seen on Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 in the Crown Room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., is one of The Chronicle's 2012 Rising Star Chefs.

Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

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Brett Cooper, Outerlands, SF, seen on Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 in the Crown Room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., is one of The Chronicle's 2012 Rising Star Chefs.

Brett Cooper, Outerlands, SF, seen on Monday, Feb. 27, 2012 in the Crown Room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., is one of The Chronicle's 2012 Rising Star Chefs.

Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

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Joey Elenterio

Joey Elenterio

Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

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Matt McNamara

Matt McNamara

Photo: Courtesy Sons & Daughters

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Teague Moriarty

Teague Moriarty

Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

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Anthony Strong

Anthony Strong

Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

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Checking in with 2012's Rising Stars

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With our 2013 Rising Stars revealed, it's time to check in with last year's crew to see what they're up to.

Preston Clark left Mill Valley's El Paseo to move back to New York in July. He didn't waste any time finding a new gig. In August, he was hired as executive chef at meat-centric Manhattan restaurants Resto and the Cannibal, where he's already put his own spin on the restaurants' menus, including instituting a dry-aged-beef program.

Brett Cooper remains at Outerlands. San Francisco's cozy Outer Sunset gem is about to start construction on the space next door, a former Chinese restaurant. The focus won't change, but Cooper says he'll have "more space to do more stuff." While there's no date yet for the new addition, diners can look forward to an expanded beverage program and food menu, including whole-animal cooking.

Joey Elenterio departed Mountain View's Michelin star-anointed Chez TJ. last November. Since then, he's been traveling, including a busman's holiday in Yosemite in January as part of the Ahwahnee Hotel's annual Chefs' Holiday series. He has plans that are still under wraps for a forthcoming San Francisco gig - his first in the city - set for the fall.

Sons & Daughters' Matt McNamara and Teague Moriarty have plenty to keep them busy. In addition to their Michelin-starred Nob Hill restaurant, they're focused on nearby casual counter-service spot, Sweet Woodruff, and their Los Gatos garden, which provides about 30 to 40 percent of their ingredients. On the home front, McNamara's daughter - whose arrival caused him to miss last year's Rising Star photo shoot - just turned a year old, and in December, Moriarty welcomed his own baby girl into the world.

Anthony Strong continues to turn out rustic Italian fare at Craig and Anne Stoll's popular Mission osteria, Locanda. With the restaurant approaching the two-year mark, Strong feels like he's "still playing new father at this point." He's proud of his "baby" - Locanda is "tightening up and getting better every day," he says.